Packrafts. The thread.

That sale on those Kokopellis last year was an amazing deal! If I didn't already own three, I would have had another.
 
That's awesome. I've always wanted to run cateract, but I'm too scared of the rapids. Looking forward to the trip report.
 
Awesome. Just added that to the list. We'll have our video of Canyonlands figure 8 up in the next week. It was a tough trip; one I'll likely never repeat.
 
the packraft stoke level is high this year! I bet you were the first to carry a packraft down that trail.

next spring Bowdie/Dark. No Sundance Trail, no shuttles :)
 
After my first packrafting trip last weekend, I decided to read back through this thread. The longer that trip marinates in my brain, the more I loved it. And now I'm thinking about improving my setup. I got a killer deal on a Kokopelli but it's kinda heavy and I think I'm way too big and heavy for it. This post from @steve actually just made me laugh when comparing:

steve said:
Good stuff, thanks guys. Here's my sitting position with the backrest fully inflated. Feet are kinda jammed in there. Moreso with my hiking boots (though it sounds like this might be a good thing?) I wonder if it would get uncomfortable sitting like this for a few hours without being able to stretch my legs. I guess I could always put my legs outside the boat on calmer sections.

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With the backrest deflated i get a little more room, but I'm not sure I'd want to paddle with the backrest deflated.

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I feel like I was way more crammed in mine than Steve, and I had a dog on my lap too. Here's a pic o me in mine taken by @colefeet to give you an idea:
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Here's another angle from inside. I feel like I was practically sitting in a chair how much my knees were bent. I'm 6'4", by the way.
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I'm way too big for this thing, right? If I were to sell it and pickup an Alpacka, how big should I go? The Denali Llama says it's good for boaters 'taller than 6 feet'. Will that do the trick? I was sitting kinda low in the water. I wouldn't mind having a little more flotation for when things get boney. Losing a few pounds might be a good idea too, but my legs won't be shrinking anytime soon.
 
I'm 6'2", 180 lbs and the Llama is the size for me. The dog sits on the floor, my legs on each side of him, and still room to wiggle around.
 
I'm six feet, have a Yak, and imagine the llama would be right for you.
 
I went one size bigger than in that photo above, and I'm sure glad I did. The kokopellis are quite a bit wider than my alpacka.
 
Sweet video, Steve. Looks tough!

How do you like the cargo fly you have on your packraft? Totally air tight, no issues? It's in the stern, but can you still get your stuff up toward the bow to balance out weight, or does it have to stay toward the back? Would you get it again?
 
I absolutely love the cargo fly, I'm so glad I got it. Totally air tight. I can still get my stuff up front, but the area in the back is the biggest. For this trip I didn't use the interior storage bags, I just stuffed my back in the stern. I would definitely get it again.

I will say though, it's a little nerve-wracking knowing your life is dependent on that zipper staying air tight. If it leaks, you're done for, and I don't see an easy way to patch it in the field. Definitely keep sand out of it! I would definitely order the cargo fly again.

It's obvious, but you can't access stuff in the cargo fly while paddling. You have to deflate your boat to get your lunch out of your cargo hold. No biggie though.

The good news is that you can decide not to use it if you want.
 
I'm torn on the skirt though (I forgot what mine is called). One minute I love it, the next minute I wish I had left it off. The nice part is that most of it zips off. (there's still a little part on the bow that stays attached.)

However, when I paddle with it detached, the zippers and velcro kinda get in the way while paddling.

What I like about the skirt:
- it keeps drips of water off me when it's chilly
- it keeps the sun off my legs (though it gets pretty warm in there)

What I don't like:
- I get scared I'll get trapped in there in rapids. It's totally mental, but I worry I'll get pinned and I won't be able to get out. Even though it has a pull-handle, if you're trapped in the wrong angle, you won't be able to fight the force of the water. Keep in mind that I'm scared of anything bigger than a class 3 anyway.
- it doesn't come fully off. There's a zipper sticking out right where your hand paddles, and there's velcro there too.


If I were to do it again, I'd order it without the skirt on top.
 
Lots of friends have the cargo fly and really like it. They haven't had any problems with the seal so far. I'm always jealous when all their gear is inside and they just have a small bag in the front. It helps keep your center of gravity lower which makes you more stable. And you don't have a big pack in the way blocking your view and pictures. A few draw backs: you have to deflate your boat to get anything - keep anything you want during the day in a small bag up front, it can make portaging your boat more difficult if there's lots of weight in there, and it makes the boat more susceptible to punctures if you have something hard packed in there. So far the only holes I can remember are with friends who had gear inside which pinched the boat when hitting a rock. Of course, you don't have to use it all the time.

For repairs carry Tyvek tape. It's amazing stuff. You should be able to pick up a roll at Home Depot or Lowes. Wrap the amount you need around an old credit card or something similar.

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Steve, you probably have the cruiser spray deck? A friend has it and has similar thoughts. When you remove it, the velcro is still there and you seem to rub your hand on it. She was pinned against a boulder in a rapid with the skirt on and needed to exit on the zipper side due to the way it was stuck. She eventually got the other side open and out, but she bought another boat after that experience and I don't think I've seen her use the spray deck since.

The whitewater deck would be nice, but then you can't carry a dog.
 
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